﻿COTTONWOOD IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 59 



FIELD PRACTICE. 



MICTJIODS. 



Cottonwood seedlings possess a long, thick taproot, with a few 

 short, fibrous laterals. Methods of field planting will differ little 

 with seedlings or cuttings. One of the best tools for setting either 

 kind of stock is a long, narrow-bladed spade, with a sharp cutting 

 edge, which can be inserted at least 12 inches into the ground. The 

 blade need not be over 4 to 6 inches wide, but should have a foot 

 extension for forcing it more easily into the ground, and a cross-bar- 

 handle to turn in making the hole. The soil can readily be filled 

 in about the plant by forcing the earth from the outside by several 

 insertions of the spade and finally firmed down about the plant with 

 the foot. To facilitate the work a boy should insert the tree in "the 

 opening and hold it in place, while a man firms the earth about it. 

 The boy also carries the basket of cuttings or seedlings. Seedlings 

 should be set slightly lower than they stood in the nursery bed. Cut- 

 tings should be inserted about a foot deep. In cultivated soil, where 

 short cuttings are practicable, they should be buried for their whole 

 length, with the exception of 3 or 4 inches of top bearing the bud, 

 and may be set at an angle of nearly 45° with the surface in order 

 to facilitate packing the earth about them. 



A plain pointed iron bar will often serve for planting cuttings. 

 This may be improved by attaching a cross handle and foot bar 

 similar to those described for the spade. A very satisfactory plant- 

 ing tool of this character can be made of iron gas pipe, with the 

 lower end brought to a sharp point of specially hard temper. 



By working 10 hours a day a man and boy should be able, after a 

 little experience, to set out 1% acres of seedlings or 2 acres of cuttings 

 per day, which would amount to from 1,020 to 1,360 trees, if spaced 

 8 feet apart each way. Proper alignment of the rows can be gained 

 by using flags or stakes, by which one man in each drew can line 

 himself in. Assuming that two men plant an acre and a half per 

 clay, and allowing a wage of $2 for the man and $1.25 a day for his 

 assistant, the total cost of planting should not exceed $2.50 per acre. 



In the case of cuttings, which are easier to handle, this cost may 

 fall below $2 per acre. If a closer spacing is adopted the cost will be 

 proportionately increased. 



Some rather large planting operations with cottonwood have been 

 reported in which the total cost per acre, including cost of stock, 

 preparation of site, and planting, with a spacing of 6 by 6 feet, was 

 only $5 a thousand for seedling's and $3 for cuttings. • The planting 

 stock in this case was collected by the company in the vicinity of the 

 planting. 



